20 Facts About ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’

There was a time in America in the mid 20th century when people looked forward to Sunday nights because of The Ed Sullivan Show. For more than two decades, the leading variety show featured different entertainers, from vaudevillians and comedians to novel singers and the biggest names in sports and rock and roll. It has forever changed the face of American television.

The show was often the ticket to a golden opportunity for any performers. The Ed Sullivan Show never failed to have high ratings and it will always be considered as one of the greatest TV shows of all time. Its last show telecast was on March 28, 1971.

The Show Was Initially Called “Toast of the Town”

In 1948, CBS created its first variety show and the network executives hired Ed Sullivan, a sports reporter, and master of ceremonies of vaudeville revues and charity events. The show was the first of its kind as they ventured into a new format that merged vaudeville with television. They called it “vaudeo” and it was dubbed The Toast of the Town. You could say that the executives aimed for a show that would be highly regarded and well liked.

The debut featured Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, as well as a ballerina, a pianist, a boxing referee, and a group of firemen who sang. The inaugural show gave the audience a taste of the diversity that has kept viewers entertained throughout the years. Although Ed was criticized with his stiff hosting manner, it was evident that he was the star so, in 1955, they changed the title to The Ed Sullivan Show.

The Wisdom Segment

I
Russia went through not just one, but two Revolutions, in 1917. The February Revolution (which lasted from the 12th to the 16th of March) removed Tsar Nicholas II and put in place a provisional government. The Bolsheviks then went on to dismantle this government during the October Revolution (which lasted from the 7th to the 8th of November). The Russian Revolution is among the most important events of the 20th century. It led to a new form of politics for a global superpower.

II
You may have noted that the dates and names of the Revolutions don't quite line up. Even though the revolutions happened in March and November, they are called the February and October Revolutions because Russia was using the old Julian calendar at the time.

III
Heavy Russian losses during World War I contributed significantly to growing animosity during the year of the Russian Revolutions (1917). Mistakes by the Russian military led to the loss of millions of their soldiers in the war. Hundreds of thousands of civilians also perished or were displaced in the aftermath. On top of all this, economic hardship continued to mount up.

IV
The 12th of March was the central date of the February Revolution in 1917. There had been mounting unrest in Petrograd throughout March. On the 12th of March, the Volinsky Regiment rebelled, and by nightfall 60,000 soldiers had joined the Revolution. This leaderless movement was one of the most spontaneous and disorganized mass revolts in human history.

V
The Provisional government continued the war with Germany, leading to destructive consequences. In the Summer of 1917, the new Minister for War, Alexander Kerensky, commanded a large-scale attack named the July Offensive. It was a military disaster that made an already unpopular government even more unstable, igniting unrest and domestic demands to stop the war.

VI
The Bolshevik Party led the October Revolution of 1917, calling themselves the leaders of the revolutionary working class of Russia. The most influential figure of the October Revolution was Leon Trotsky.